I've already reached the Nascent Soul stage, and you're saying I didn't time travel?

Chapter 116 I've burned even Iron Hands to ashes!

Temporary camp, military tents.

Barack slowly finished his exercise.

"Finally, he has reached the Transformation Realm."

He let out a long breath, his eyes filled with surprise.

Even with the added benefit of honey, this cultivation speed is already quite fast.

Looking at the world as a whole, they may not be as good as the most outstanding geniuses, but they are definitely among the top tier.

His wealth, in turn, made up for the deficiencies.

As various spiritual items continue to be released to the market, even at the initial stage when the prices are extremely high, he can buy them with his eyes closed, which is enough to make him comparable to or even surpass those geniuses.

"Although times have changed."

"But in the end, they never abandoned me."

"From now on, I will have to lead the trend."

Barack was bursting with confidence.

He then practiced the "Black Jade Skill" with iron sand for a while.

When the faint blackness gradually extended to his elbow joints as he circulated his internal energy, he stopped his burning hot arms and went to take a shower, covered in sweat.

I was only halfway through my bath when a frantic shout came from outside:
"Boss, we've discovered a special species!"

Upon hearing this, Barack didn't dare to delay. He quickly dried himself off and rushed out while putting on his clothes.

"what?!"

His eyes were bright, his voice was urgent, and his excitement was palpable.

His subordinate immediately presented him with a document:
"This is the result of our advance team's exploration at the front."

"Our drone has detected a special fruit that is burning fiercely."

"And a giant leopard-like beast with sword-like fangs was found near the fruit."

"After comparison, it was confirmed that this giant beast had appeared among the ferocious beasts that had previously besieged Qi Xuan, although it existed in the form of a corpse."

According to Qi Xuan, this beast should be called a saber-toothed leopard, but he only mentioned it casually and did not describe its skills in detail. He probably thought that the beast's strength was probably very ordinary.

Faced with the conclusions reached by his subordinates, Barack cautiously stated:

"It's just very ordinary for Qi Xuan, but we ordinary people can't see it that way."

"The more you cultivate, the more you can feel Qi Xuan's power. The ferocious beasts that he ignores can often bring us annihilation. This is something we must not overlook."

After thinking for a moment, Barack gave the instructions:

"Let the advance team continue to observe, get some equipment over there, observe from multiple angles and collect data from all aspects, and work with the biologists in the team to figure out the habits of that giant beast and the characteristics of that fruit before taking any action."

Upon receiving the order, the subordinates immediately began preparations and arrangements.

At that moment, he received another message in his earpiece, and his pupils contracted slightly as he said:
"The advance team has reported that the fruit seems to be ripe, and there are signs that the nearby beasts intend to devour it."

Barack's brows furrowed immediately.

There was a full three seconds of silence.

He had just asked:
Where are our fighter jets?

……

The fighter jets ultimately did not fly over.

Because the bombing was so loud and powerful, Barak was worried that it would affect the Flame-Flame Fruit.

The final kill plan was to use drones to lure the saber-toothed leopard a little further away, and then have the combat team launch "pin" micro-missiles in a concentrated manner.

This miniature missile, weighing only 2.4 kg, measuring 63.5 cm in length, and containing a 1 kg high-explosive warhead, is one of the smallest guided weapons in the world.

The concentrated bombardment killed the saber-toothed leopard, which was about five meters long, on the spot in the first round.

This also meant that they were unable to use several follow-up attack plans they had prepared, including GBU-39 bombs.

However, ending the battle quickly is actually a good thing, to avoid any unexpected changes.

The saber-toothed leopard's carcass will naturally be handled by the accompanying researchers.

Fully armed, Barak, surrounded by a group of special forces soldiers, arrived at a position two hundred meters away from the Flame Fruit.

Although he participated in the exploration of the islands and land, he still cherished his own life.

Based on past failures seen in the sky, when faced with an unfamiliar and dangerous source like the Flame Fruit, even if it is clearly a spiritual object at first glance, one should avoid close contact as the first to make contact.

Barack picked up his binoculars and stood on the hillside to observe the scene.

Around the blazing flame fruit, the advance team members cautiously approached.

All the team members on site were wearing special bomb disposal suits weighing 26 kilograms each, made of special fireproof and waterproof materials combined with Kevlar fiber. These suits included three steel protective plates and spinal cord protectors, theoretically capable of withstanding damage from explosions traveling at speeds below 1400 meters per second.

Before the advance team could even step within ten meters of the Flame Fruit, screens of light suddenly lit up the sky.

Barack instinctively looked at the light screen, and the next second he was completely stunned.

The scene projected on the light screen was of the advance team members preparing to harvest the fruit.

In an instant, numerous horrific scenes from the past flashed through his mind like lightning.

"Stop!"

"Halt!"

"All team members, retreat immediately!!"

Upon receiving the order, the advance team hesitated for a moment before obeying and slowly retreating.

Barack immediately left the scene under the protection of his combat team.

What a joke! It's only 200 meters away. If something unexpected happens, you might not even be able to escape.

His life is far more valuable than a mere magical object.

After finally managing to evacuate to a camp 1,500 meters away, Barack was able to breathe a little easier.

Helicopters are available at the camp and can take off at any time.

The combatants carried a large number of heavy weapons, which could hold off the enemy as much as possible.

At worst, within twenty seconds, patrolling fighter jets would arrive at the scene.

After confirming his safety, Barack frowned slightly.

"Nothing has changed at the scene, and the Flame Fruit is still burning normally. Requesting further instructions."

In fact, he doesn't need his subordinates to send messages; he can see the situation on the ground through the overhead screen.

But it was precisely because he could see it that his mood became even more unpredictable.

The fact that the canopy did not disappear indicates that the changes are not over, the crisis still exists, and it has not ended just because the team members stopped their operations.

Are we going to give up that fruit?
After a moment's thought, he glanced at the time and gave the order in a deep voice:

"Keep waiting."

"Qi Xuan is about to start his live stream, and if nothing unexpected happens, he will definitely encounter the same result during the live stream."

“We’ll observe how he handles it, and then process the fruit according to his methods.”

"If the fruit withers or other unforeseen events occur during this period, it can only be attributed to our bad luck."

Upon hearing this, the order was carried out on the spot.

Five long minutes passed, and as everyone waited anxiously, Qi Xuan's live stream finally appeared in the sky.

The moment the streamer appeared, the chat was immediately flooded with countless comments:

"I've calculated that Qi Shen will definitely encounter a Flame Fruit today!"

"Haha, I can even predict that the fruit will appear in the morning."

"I bet the flames on that fruit will be golden orange!"

"That's fucking outrageous! How can such a fruit exist in the world? How are they even picked in such high temperatures?"

"That's why Barak's exploration team all stopped and retreated immediately."

"Wasn't their retreat due to the appearance of the light screen? I can't help but laugh at Barack's awful appearance every time I see it."

"To be honest, it's impossible not to be scared. Nobody knows what dangers that fruit contains. The tragedy of Daniel's exploration team yesterday is still fresh in our minds."

"Who knows how something like Dragon-Hunting Grass could even exist?"

"Let's see how it ends with Barak and his group. With such caution, they might just succeed in obtaining that Flame-Flame Fruit."

"What I really want to know is what that Flame-Flame Fruit is for."

"Am I the only one concerned about how to eat it? With such a big fire, before it even opens its mouth, people are afraid of being burned to death."

……

Amidst the online discussions, Qi Xuan appeared lazily on Sunday bike in the frame.

Facing the camera, he straightened up slightly and began to speak:
"According to the map we found before, we are not far from the Nangong tribe now. Even with our relatively cautious pace of advancement, we should be able to make contact with them by tomorrow at the latest."

To be honest, I was a little nervous about my first encounter with the natives of this other world, so I decided to observe from the sidelines first and see what the situation was like there.

Only after confirming there was no danger did they tentatively make contact.

I don't want to be captured and roasted like a trophy; that scene would be too horrible.

After a moment of sighing, Qi Xuan continued riding Sunday forward.

With the Nangong token and map as double insurance, there's no need to worry about getting lost.

He became more and more cautious the further he went. But before long, Qi Xuan's expression changed slightly.

Upon seeing the Flame-Flame Fruit faintly visible in the shot, netizens immediately became excited.

Even Barack and others who were closely watching the live broadcast found their breathing becoming rapid.

As everyone expected, Qi Xuan, riding Sunday, slowly arrived in front of the Flame Fruit.

At this moment, everyone was able to see the Flame Fruit up close.

It looked about the size of an apple, a round lump with a bright red exterior and seven or eight golden stripes. It was surrounded by a layer of sky-blue flames, and its temperature seemed to be higher than that of the golden orange color of the mainland island.

"This is the Golden Flame Fruit."

Even Qi Xuan's expression showed a slight excitement as he faced the Flame-Flame Fruit so close at hand:
"This is an extremely rare spiritual fruit. Ordinary people who consume it will be transformed and immune to all diseases. Martial artists who consume it will have their aptitude improved and their cultivation speed greatly increased."

Upon hearing this, countless netizens were moved to tears.

"Damn it! It really is a precious medicine!"

"It's a precious medicine that can improve one's aptitude for martial arts cultivation! I desperately need this!"

"Why is there only one on the island?! What am I supposed to do?!"

"It's too difficult! Even if we managed to pick one, there wouldn't be enough to go around!"

"Aaaaaah, I'm so jealous! I don't know about others, but Qi Shen is definitely going to get this precious medicine. How come he gets all the good things?!"

"His talent is unmatched by ordinary people, and his medicines are difficult for ordinary people to obtain. Let alone the fact that he is only a Supreme Grandmaster now, I would not be surprised if he were to advance to the level of a Land Immortal on the spot. This kind of luck is unique in the world!"

"I wish the sun would explode on the spot! Blow up this lucky guy! Next time, I'll definitely aim better!!"

"Hilarious! If it weren't for Qi Shen, we wouldn't even know the uses of the Golden Flame Fruit. We should just keep this to ourselves."

……

Amidst the envy and jealousy of countless netizens, Qi Xuan continued his introduction:

"As you can see, there are seven or eight golden lines on the surface of this Golden Flame Fruit. These golden lines represent its age and quality."

The light gold is the most ordinary, the bronze gold is barely acceptable, the champagne gold is of good quality, but the best is this brilliant gold.

Besides color, texture is also important; every three to five years, a texture will grow on its surface.

Furthermore, as the patterns grow, the temperature of the flames around them will increase further, and the area of ​​combustion will narrow further.

These temperatures protect it from being eaten by wild beasts and continuously provide energy for its fruit.

Therefore, one must be extremely careful when picking them, because they can easily burst open on the spot.

As he spoke, Qi Xuan reached out and picked it on the spot.

Seeing this, netizens were all shocked:
"Holy crap! You just picked it with your bare hands like that? Without any protection whatsoever?"

"Ruthless Iron Hand! Absolutely ruthless iron hand!"

"You burned even an iron hand! Didn't you see the color of that temperature? That's at least three thousand degrees!"

"Three thousand degrees? Has the skin of a Grandmaster become this thick?"

"No, you've got it wrong. This isn't actual contact; it's the skin's surface being covered with protective qi!"

"Indeed, after entering the Innate Realm, the internal strength can be transformed into more powerful True Qi, which has a variety of special uses. The True Qi of a Supreme Grandmaster must be more profound and of extremely high quality, which is why it can touch high-temperature flames. If it were an ordinary Innate Realm cultivator, it would be burned to ashes in an instant."

"I see. I'll work hard to fix it! I won't be afraid of fires anymore."

……

In fact, true qi alone is simply not enough to resist the azure-level flames of the Golden Flame Fruit.

Even ordinary spiritual power is difficult to resist.

However, after consuming the Cold Moon Lotus not long ago, his spiritual power had already acquired the attribute of ice and cold ahead of schedule.

Only by relying on the icy attribute to withstand the azure flames can the loss of spiritual energy be greatly reduced.

Even so, his spiritual energy was almost completely depleted before he was able to touch the Golden Flame Fruit and pluck it from the plant.

After the Golden Flame Fruit was picked, the other party no longer revealed any flames, and looked just like an ordinary apple with golden patterns.

Qi Xuan couldn't help but show excitement on his face.

It's good if it can transform ordinary people.

It's fine if it's to increase the cultivation aptitude of martial artists.

For cultivators, the Golden Flame Fruit is used to greatly increase spiritual power, and can even help Qi Refining cultivators break through the shackles of minor realms.

It is definitely a precious medicine that many people dream of.

But for Qi Xuan, there was no such thing as a realm constraint; this Golden Flame Fruit could only be used to simply provide spiritual power.

"It's a pity there are only seven or eight golden patterns. If there were more than ten, after taking one pill, it would be no problem to immediately reach the seventh level of Qi Refining."

"Seven or eight is not bad. It can save me several days of cultivation time, allowing me to advance to the fifth level of Qi Refining and obtain the fifth transformation of Qi Refining before arriving at the Nangong Tribe."

"The remaining medicinal effects will allow me to travel a distance within the fifth level of Qi Refining, further shortening the time required to advance to the sixth level of Qi Refining."

Qi Xuan didn't delay any longer and immediately began to consume the Golden Flame Fruit and refine its medicinal power on the spot.

This scene made countless netizens go crazy with envy in the live broadcast room.

Barack quickly looked away and instead focused on the footage coming from the drone's surveillance camera.

In the image, the Golden Flame Fruit was burning over a very large area, roughly five or six meters away.

The flames were orange-red, far less vibrant than Qi Xuan's sky blue.

Furthermore, there are only two golden stripes on the surface of the fruit.

Without a doubt, this is the youth version of the Golden Flame Fruit.

Even the youth version is sufficient for martial artists worldwide.

At this moment, Barack felt an unprecedented ambition.

After successfully picking the Golden Flame Fruit, he didn't need any other gains from this trip; he only hoped to get a share of it.

If all else fails, then the only option is to eat it before the surrounding UN overseers can react, and then make compensation later.

Get on the train first and buy the ticket later. Even if they don't want to, they'll have no choice but to accept it.

A surge of excitement welled up within him. After learning about the Golden Flame Fruit, Bellac no longer hesitated and immediately ordered preparations to be made for its harvest.

Before long, the advance team, dressed in special bomb disposal suits, arrived around the Golden Flame Fruit.

The raging flames, even through the bomb disposal suits, made everyone present feel extremely hot.

But soon, everyone present took out liquid nitrogen freezing guns.

Liquid nitrogen freezing guns were originally one of the commonly used pieces of equipment in bomb disposal.

Because bomb disposal personnel sometimes encounter mercury bombs—bombs that detonate by the vibration of mercury.

As is well known, mercury is liquid at room temperature and pressure, so it can be frozen using a liquid nitrogen cryo-gun to safely defuse an explosion.

Surrounding the Golden Flame Fruit, numerous advance team members pulled the handles, allowing liquid nitrogen to be output from the cold head and poured onto the flames.

In an instant, a large amount of white mist-like water vapor burst out from the scene.

Liquid nitrogen has a temperature of -196 degrees Celsius. When it comes into contact with a high-temperature flame, it will instantly vaporize and absorb a large amount of heat, reducing the intensity of combustion.

Moreover, liquid nitrogen expands to seven hundred times its original volume after vaporization, which further reduces the surrounding oxygen concentration and continuously suppresses the flames.

By pouring a large amount of liquid nitrogen on site, the burning zone of the Golden Flame Fruit quickly shrank inward, and the burning range gradually decreased from five or six meters to three meters and then two meters.

Seeing this scene, not only Barack, but audiences all over the world were on tenterhooks.

After an agonizing wait, liquid nitrogen finally extinguished the last flame on the fruit's surface.

Immediately, someone rushed forward and used hydraulic shears to cut the fruit directly.

Having obtained the Golden Flame Fruit and confirmed that no other unforeseen events had occurred, everyone present cheered.

The external light screens also went out at this time, and they became the first team to gain a reward without any loss during the live broadcast.

Before the celebratory atmosphere in the group could subside, the Golden Flame Fruit was quickly delivered to Bellak.

But with several UN oversight personnel watching, he couldn't take action for the time being.

However, after carefully observing the Golden Flame Fruit, Bellak's expression gradually began to change, and a hint of suspicion rose on his face.

Then, to everyone's astonishment, the Golden Flame Fruit that had been so hard-won shattered on the spot.

……

The island camp was in chaos due to the broken Golden Flame Fruit, but Qi Xuan was completely unaware of it.

He never expected that Golden Flame Fruit would appear on Blue Star, so he didn't mention that picking Golden Flame Fruit required using spiritual power to neutralize the flames.

These were originally prepared for cultivators and various kinds of demonic beasts.

Ordinary people cannot remove it without the help of talismans or magical implements.

Forcibly removing it, including digging it up and transplanting it directly, will only cause it to break or explode on the spot.

After finally refining the Golden Flame Fruit completely, it was already noon.

Just as Qi Xuan had guessed, with the help of the terrifying medicinal power of the Golden Flame Fruit, he successfully stepped into the fifth level of Qi Refining, and was probably not far from the sixth level of Qi Refining.

With unprecedented confidence, Qi Xuan immediately continued to move forward.

He hadn't walked far when he came across a thicket, and it seemed as if some figure flashed by in the thicket.

Meanwhile, various detection equipment has been transported to the site where the Southeast Asian joint exploration team went missing, and the joint command is about to launch a new round of exploration.

(End of this chapter)